Timothy rogers



(No Model.)

4Tlfnoems.

COMPOSITE FBNGE. No'. 266,318. Patented 06h24, '1882.y

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Erni) STATES 'ATENE Ormea.

TIMOTHY ROGERS, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE ROGERS FENCECOMPANY, OF SAME PLAGE.

COMPOSITE FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 266,318, dated October24:, 1882.

Application tiled July 10, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TIMOTHY ROGERS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Springfield, in the county ofGlarke and State ot' Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Fences; and I do'declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description oftheinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters and igures of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specication.

Myinventionrelatestocertainimprovements in fences. v

My invention relates, further, to certain improvements in fences whichare constructed partly of wood and partly of iron.

The object of my invention is to simplify the construction of anornamental fence which shall be permanent and durable, and which shallbe cheap as compared to the cost .of an iron fence with a like amount ofornamentation thereon.

Another object ot my invention is to make the connecting ends of therails easily adjustable in height upon the post either for straight orinclined grades.

Another object of my invention is to conline the pickets in such manneras to allow them to be easilyreplaced when broken, and to allow of afree circulation of air about the points of their attachment to therails, and to make the contacting-surface of the rail against the picketas small as possible, that the latter may sooner dry out after exposureto wet., and thereby prevent decay.

My invention consists in a fence with its posts and rails (the latterdouble) of iron and its pickets of wood, that part of the post aboveground being composed of both wood and iron.

Figure lis a side elevation of a post and part of two panels of myimproved fence, the post being broken oii' below the ground-line. Fig. 2is an enlarged view of a portion of a picket, ornaments, and therailconnection. Fig. 3 is an edge View ot' the same. Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7,and 8 are details. Dotted lines, Fig. 1, show the adjustment of rails.

In the drawings, A represents afence-post,

made ot two pieces of channel-rail iron, a, with the hollow of eachsection turned inward, and a long liat wooden picket, a', interposedbetween the two sections, which are on the front and rear sides. Thispicket extends upward from the ground-line, and its top end ranges withthe pickets ofthe connecting-panels. The upright sections a of the postbeing narrower than the picket, there is sufficient space on either sideto allow the ends of the rails b to lie on the picket or rest against itand to abut against the iron section a of the post. A plate, e, having amiddle seinicircular rib, h, extending lengthwise on the front side tostrengthen it, covers the ends ot' the connecting-rails on both frontand rear sides of the post, and bolts t" extend through these plates andthe intermediate rail ends, fastening the whole together. Provision ismade for the adjustment of the rails and pickets to grade and for thenecessary expansion and contraction of the rails and their connections.

A cap, c, (seen in Figs. 1, 4, and 5,) covers the top of the post andprevents water from entering the hollow spaces in the saine. This cap issegmental in shape, similar in appearance (externally) to one-quarter ofa cylinder, with the ends closed, from one side of which extends ailange, t', by which it is attached to the picket a. This cap titssnugly over the top end of the iron upright of the post upon either sideof the picket, as seen in Fig. 5. A screw secures the cap to the picketthrough the iiange, both on the front and rear sides of the picket. Thetwo channel-rail uprights a divergefrom the ground-line,forming thelimbs c', the ends of which extend through the ends of a base-plate, g.(See Figs. 7 andS.) This base-plate has horizontal flanges on its sidesat the bottom part, and a circular elevated middle part, b', which ishollow, as seen in Fig. 8, which shows a cross-section through line y,Fig. 7. The ends of the limbs c are riveted at either end of the hollowsegment b', as seen in Fig. 7. In this figure the Lipper and lowerportions of the base of post A are shown broken asunder. The hollow inthe base allows dirt lying loose in the post-hole to be packed thereinwhen the post is set. The pickets a3 of the panels are secured betweentwo channel-iron IOO rails, with their hollow sides inward, as seen inFig. A bolt, a, extends through the rail-sections and intermediatepicket.

it will be noticed by referring to Figs. 2 and 3 that only the edges ofrails b contact with the surface ofthe picket, leaving a space throughthe hollow for the air to circulate freely, and thus dry out anymoisture where the rail crosses the picket, .diii'erin g in this respectfrom either a fiatiron or a wooden rail. The ornaments e, above andbelow the rail, are secured to the picket by a screw, (l. They have alsorectangular hooksf on either side, which overlap the edges ofthe picketand extend under the railtiange. .ln Figs. 2 and 3 the connection of theornament and rail can be seen. By removing the ornaments and takingoutbolts a" a picket can he easily slipped out and removed withoutdisturbing` the other members of the fence.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of Athe top part of post A and theconnections ofthe upper rails. Fig. 5 is a vertical section through linerr, Fig. 4; and Fig. 6, a cross-section through line z of the sameligure, one ot' the sections a of'v the post being left out.

The rails and pickets forming the panels may be adjusted up or down uponpost A by imply loosening the bolts fi. There is also suilicient spacebetween the ianges e to allow of' rails b, pivoted upon bolts't", to beinclined to suit the gade. By reference to Fig. 6 it will benotieedthattheoblongnoteh It is longer than the width of the post-section a,which it spans, to not only facilitate the adjustment of' therail-connections upon the post, but also to allow of' the requisiteexpansion and contraction of' the rails and their connections. Thefinished panels and the posts can be shipped ready to be put togetherwhere used.

l am aware that wooden pickets having malleable ornaments are not new;but the use of such pickets and their ornaments has heretoioie beenlimited to their combination with a wooden rail, either singly or with awooden rail and a wooden band-mold together. A fence of' theconstruction named is not only less durable, but possesses but littlestrength as compared with my im pro ved com posi te fence described.Furthermore, the wooden rail is objectionable on account of' the greaterditiicultyin making repairs, particularly when iinished with aband-mold.

1 claim as my invention- In a fence constructed with wooden pickets andwrought-iron rails, a post in which a wooden picket is clamped betweeniron uprights formed of' channel-rail, substantially as set f'orth.

2. In a fence havingl iron rails and wooden pickets, a post madeof'twouprights ot'wroughtiron channel-rail, with an interposed picket of' woodbetween the uprights, the latter diverging from the groundline downwardand riveted to a cast base-plate at their lower ends, substantially ashereinbefore set forth.

In a fence-post composed of wood and iron, constructed as described, thecast base havingahollowarched middle partandstraight parallel sides, thetwo channel-rail uprights, and the interposed wooden picket, incombination with the caps for covering the ends of' the uprighrs, havingflanges extending therefrom, by which they are attached to said pieket,substantially as set forth.

4. A felice in which a series of' wooden pickets are secured betweenwrought-iron channelrails by bolts extending through the rails andinterposed picket.

5. The combination, with a post made of' two uprights of wrought-ironchannel-rail and an interposed picket of' wood, ot' rails the ends ot'which overlap the front edges of' the interposed picket and abut againstthe iron upright ot' the post upon either side thereof', and a plateconnecting said rail ends, provided with rear` wardly-extending flangesresting against the f'ront of the picket thus interposed and upon eachedge of' the same.

(i. In a fence having wrought-iron channelrails and a post composed ot'wrought-iron uprights, with an interposed picket ot' wood, a series ol"ornaments having rectangular hooks bent backward over the edges of' theintervening picket, downward in lille with the same, thence forward intothe cavity ot' the rail and engaging with the flange ofthe same.

In testimony whereof I atix my signatur-c in vpresence of two witnesses.

TIMOTHY ROGERS.

Witnesses:

GaAs. D. RUsH, 15. U. GoNvnasn.

